Florida insurance laws

What it would do: Requires the Department of Management Services to submit formulary management recommendations to the Governor and Legislative Budget Commission by September 1, 2025 for the 2026 plan year, and requires the department to implement only those recommendations approved by the commission.

What it would do: Amends multiple Florida statutes governing the Department of Financial Services, including revisions to the My Safe Florida Home Program and Condominium Pilot Program eligibility requirements, unclaimed property procedures, insurance licensing standards, and financial management systems.

What it would do: Revises child care licensing standards, changes terminology from 'family day care' to 'family child care,' prohibits residential property insurers from covering liability claims from large family child care home operations, and establishes the Florida Child Care Fund administered by a Department of Education direct-support organization.

What it would do: Revises the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Plan to expand eligible expenses, require participants to obtain private health insurance or Medicaid, increase award amounts, establish actuarial soundness requirements, and authorize the plan to suspend accepting new claims if liabilities exceed available funds.

What it would do: Prohibits Citizens Property Insurance Corporation from issuing or renewing commercial residential and nonresidential coverage if an approved surplus lines insurer offers comparable coverage within 20 percent of the corporation's cost, unless the corporation imposes an equalization adjustment. Requires the corporation to establish commercial lines clearinghouses by January 1, 2027.

What it would do: Requires insurance companies or their authorized agents to implement control processes and procedures for electronic signatures on vehicle and vessel documents, and deletes a prior requirement that electronic signatures on odometer disclosures be executed in a specified manner.

What it would do: Amends Florida insurance and financial services laws by revising surplus lines insurance eligibility requirements, modifying diligent effort definitions, updating state financial institution assessment deadlines, authorizing lawyer trust accounts with specified minimum interest rates, and adjusting timelines for bank and credit union operations.

What it would do: Defines diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations and prohibits the state group insurance program from imposing any enrollee cost-sharing liability for coverage of these examinations, effective January 1, 2026.

What it would do: Revises financial requirements for home and service warranty associations by modifying circumstances for unearned premium reserves, specifying contractual liability insurance provisions, and requiring service warranty contracts covering accidental damage to be covered by contractual liability policies.

What it would do: Amends section 631.195 to revise and expand the list of insurer records exempt from public disclosure when held by the Department of Financial Services as receiver, and removes the scheduled repeal date of October 2, 2025.

What it would do: Terminates community redevelopment agencies by September 30, 2045 unless continued by vote; prohibits new agencies and expansions after July 1, 2025; restricts new projects and debt after October 1, 2025. Reorganizes Department of Business and Professional Regulation divisions and transfers licensing authority from boards to the department.

What it would do: Defines pet insurance as property insurance and establishes comprehensive regulatory requirements for pet insurers, including mandatory disclosures about coverage exclusions, waiting periods, claim payment bases, and preexisting conditions, while prohibiting certain unfair wellness program sales practices.

What it would do: Restricts health insurers from downcoding medical services, requires electronic prior authorization processes, establishes timelines for claim payments and adverse determinations, and creates private causes of action for providers against insurers for violations.

What it would do: Amends Florida bail bond laws to require monetary bail components be met by specific means, eliminate certain surety qualifications, prohibit virtual bail bond offices, reduce prelicensing course hours, and revise bond forfeiture, remission, and reinstatement procedures.

What it would do: Establishes a mandatory statewide claim dispute resolution program for denied prior authorizations and other claims between providers and health plans. Prohibits credit card-only payment methods, restricts automated clearinghouse transfer fees, and prevents health insurers and HMOs from denying claims for procedures included in prior authorizations except under specified circumstances.

What it would do: Amends Florida's small employer health insurance law by reorganizing and renumbering definitions and subsections in section 627.6699, conforming cross-references in related statutes, and maintaining the Florida Small Employer Carrier Reinsurance Program structure.

What it would do: Requires health plans to participate in claim disputes, pay providers within 35 days of agency orders with penalties for delay, identify ownership interests and affiliations, credential providers within 30 days, and notify insureds and providers of coverage changes before denying previously authorized services.

What it would do: Prohibits health care providers from collecting from patients sums owed by insurers or health maintenance organizations for emergency services, and allows nonparticipating providers to sue for quantum meruit recovery. Subjects insurers and HMOs to Florida court jurisdiction for emergency services provided to patients in the state.

What it would do: Increases the percentage of workers' compensation insurance policies an insurer may use excess rates for from 10 percent to 20 percent annually, excluding policies from employers previously in the joint underwriting plan for 3 years. Expands the Florida Workers' Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association board from 9 to 11 members.

What it would do: Expands the Office of Insurance Regulation's authority over insurers and related entities, including licensing requirements, rate regulation, market conduct examinations, fingerprinting and background checks for key personnel, and reporting requirements for insurance holding companies and reciprocal insurers.

What it would do: Creates a privilege making documents and materials obtained by the Commissioner of Insurance Regulation during examinations or financial analyses confidential and not subject to subpoena or discovery in private civil actions. Exempts proprietary business information and biographical materials provided to the Office of Insurance Regulation from public records requirements.

What it would do: Revises attorney fee awards in insurance coverage disputes and creates new provisions allowing prevailing parties in civil claims against insurers to recover reasonable attorney fees based on settlement offer comparisons, effective July 1, 2026.

What it would do: Requires Medicaid to cover orthotics and prosthetics services including orthoses, prostheses, materials, instruction, and repairs. Requires individual, group, and health maintenance organization policies issued after July 1, 2026, to provide the same coverage and prohibits denying claims for limb loss or limb absence.

What it would do: Requires child-serving organizations and agencies contracting with the Department of Children and Families to provide annual employee training on child abuse and neglect prevention. Creates a process for the Department to recognize accrediting organizations and accredit child safety organizations, and requires insurance discounts for accredited organizations.

What it would do: Amends the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund by changing the retention multiple to $8.5 billion for the 2026 contract year, adjusting coverage level multiples, modifying loss adjustment expense calculations, freezing the cash build-up factor beginning 2026-2027, and requiring catastrophe model averaging for premium determination.